School profile

Thurston Community College

Secondary · Community school · Bury St Edmunds, IP31 3PB

Good

Map showing Thurston Community College

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#1,660 of 3,312

Similar to most schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

A-level 2024/25

#1,470 of 2,536

Similar to most schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

Thurston Community College Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 22 Mar 2018

Ofsted rating
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form provision
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeCommunity school
Ages11 to 18
Pupils1,512
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMs Maéve Taylor
Local authoritySuffolk
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 124802.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolSuffolkEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.45.9, similar to England, better than Suffolk42.946.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.65.2%, similar to England, better than Suffolk60.7%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.45.2%, similar to England, better than Suffolk40%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.12.4%, similar to England, better than Suffolk9.5%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths60.8%, similar to England, better than Suffolk55.2%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4250--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

A-level results

2024/25

Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.

MeasureThis schoolSuffolkEngland
Average points per A-level entryA* is 60, A is 50, B is 40, C is 30, D is 20, E is 10.32.37, worse than England, similar to Suffolk31.8835
Average A-level gradeC+--
Average points, best three A-levels33.19, worse than England, similar to Suffolk32.435.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsC+--
AAB or better8.3%, worse than England, similar to Suffolk10.7%17.5%
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.-0.19, worse than England--
A-level progressBelow average, worse than England--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study94--
Average applied general gradeVocational qualifications, such as BTECs.Merit+--

Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,512
Girls743
Boys769
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.17.9%
First language not English2.4%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.2,090
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.27.7%
Sixth form places2024/25440
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.181
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.58
Average class size21.9

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
85.7%
Other White
3.2%
Other mixed
2%
White and Asian
1.5%
White and Black Caribbean
0.7%
Other Black
0.3%
White and Black African
0.2%
Other ethnic group
0.2%
Irish
0.1%
Gypsy/Roma
0.1%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher17.1
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.13.1
Teachers (FTE)88.44
Teaching assistants (FTE)17.06
Support staff (FTE)60.13
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2590.3
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2579.7
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/255
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/255.6

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.277
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.403
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.271
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.271
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)8

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolSuffolkEngland
Overall absence7.8%, similar to England, better than Suffolk8.8%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.23.6%, worse than England, similar to Suffolk23.3%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.2.9%, better than England, better than Suffolk4.4%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate31.7%
Pupils with one or more suspensions8.9%
Permanent exclusion rate0.2%
Permanent exclusions3

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.97.7%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.92.1%
Further education54.7%
School sixth form35.1%
Apprenticeship3.8%
Employment1.9%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.1.5%
Sixth form college0.4%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Destinations after A-levels

2023/24

Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.86.7%
Higher education48.2%
Employment27.7%
Apprenticeship7.2%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.4.8%
Further education3.6%

Source: DfE, 16 to 18 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Thurston Community College
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryThurston Church of England Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about Thurston Community College

What is Thurston Community College's Ofsted rating?

Thurston Community College is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 22 Mar 2018.

How does Thurston Community College rank in England?

Thurston Community College ranks 1,660 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (similar to most schools) and 1,470 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (similar to most schools).

What are Thurston Community College's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 45.2% of pupils at Thurston Community College got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 45.9 (England 46.2).

What are Thurston Community College's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at Thurston Community College was C+, and 8.3% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).

How hard is it to get into Thurston Community College?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Thurston Community College made 277 offers from 403 applications (1.5 per offer), and 271 of 271 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Thurston Community College?

Thurston Community College has 1,512 pupils aged 11 to 18.

What is the capacity of Thurston Community College?

Thurston Community College had 2,090 school places in 2024/25.

Does Thurston Community College have a sixth form?

Yes, Thurston Community College has a sixth form with 440 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Thurston Community College?

At Thurston Community College, the average class had 21.9 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 17.1 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Thurston Community College?

In 2025/26, pupils at Thurston Community College missed 7.8% of sessions (England 8%), and 23.6% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.